A Musing Mother 6

How can I portray my seasonal malaise when I can't even dig out my car? How do I stay in a climate this ways that is north of the northern most star? I remember a time in a place that was mine where I sweat while I built a new coop. But those were the days before the malaise and chicks didn't roost on iced poop. I think I recall during summer or fall when the colors were other than white. I could spend all my days without this malaise and the mountains within my sight. Perhaps I'd feel free if I'd only go ski and I'd fly like the wind as it blows. But the snow will only melt and it is clearly felt on my skin not covered with clothes.

Between Dad and Daughter: Oh deer, how r u doing, dear? Better than the deer :) I tried to think of a good pun to respond with, but all I could come up with is that I just came from seminary so I'm feeling all mushy. Buck up, it won't cost too much doe You're better at this 'game' than me. That's not what I herd. Mom and I took the car to a car wash. It cost twelve bucks. Did you get the underside sprayed? Yep. And a banana bath. My car smells like bananas now instead of deer guts. Twelve bucks is not bad. You're made of doe, after all. When she came home from school to give a recounting of the experience, she started by telling me that 1. It was mostly dead, anyway and 2. There's a reason she has a Class B restriction on her license. Additional benefits of having deer guts on your undercarriage is that teenage boys flock to your side with hero worship and ask if you will show them the underside of your car. I'm not really sure why, but that last sen

"I have to go. Alyssa just hit a deer," my husband announced to me this morning. "Is she okay?" "Yeah. Emily's dad came along just after she hit it and helped lift the car off the carcass," he added. "I don't know what to do with that information." This is winter in Utah this year. It's colder than the current temperatures in Alaska. The air quality is dangerous to breathe. Surrounded by mountains which is breathtaking when you can see them, cold air is trapped in the pocket called the valley and warm air floats happily above us while cold, smoggy air pollutes everything else. Visibility is dismal in the morning. This kind of winter happens about every 7 or 8 years. It. Is. Miserable. Back to the cold. It snowed on Christmas day. We've not reached a high of freezing since. In fact, anything above the teens is a heat wave. I haven't seen the street in front of my house for nearly a month. Evidenced by a photo I took yesterday:

It is so cold and miserable. I honestly have not seen the road in front of my house since Christmas Day. I went hunting for a video I know I took one hot, summer day for the express purpose to watch on a cold, winter day. I found one of the dog rolling around on the sprinkler which was fun to watch but not quite what I needed. Turns out, the video I wanted wasn't really what I needed. I needed to be reminded to not take myself so seriously. I needed to be reminded that I don't have to try to control everything in my environment or my children's environment. I needed to be reminded that Someone Else, bigger than me, wiser than me, and kinder than me is watching out for all of us. I needed to be reminded that of a wise General, Stonewall Jackson, summarized it in one statement, "Never take counsel from fear."  If you want to believe it was serendipity that I stumbled upon this essay I posted in 2009, feel free to do so. I think I was a conduit for giving myself coun

It's midyear. That's code for  schedule changes . Which is really code for my life is a living hell  if you are a school counselor. On top of it, let's be honest, change is hard. Although the least important of priorities, my change of workplace is probably my biggest stressor. Strange I would say that considering what tumbled out and flew towards me en mass this year. Let's just say it is the most consistent change that stretches my abilities to cope. Then there's the parenting guilt. Wait. Before I wallow into guilt, I must boast. My oldest daughter applied to seven colleges. She has heard back from six. Acceptance is a given. One college offered her a two year, full tuition scholarship. Today she heard from another university and has been offered full tuition, four year scholarship. I am proud. So very, very proud. But I attribute it to a very strong girl who succeeds in spite of her upbringing. Bless her heart. There is guilt #1. She needs to take college tours.

Were you waiting with bated breath? I thought so. More crock pot meals to make ahead of time and freeze: Honey Bourbon Chicken (Although there's not really bourbon in it. Got your attention, though Great flavor and can be served on rolls or over rice. 4 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts 2 C. honey *I thought that was excessive so I use 1 c. honey and 1 c. brown sugar. Because I'm cheap  frugal like that. 1 c. low sodium soy sauce 1/2 c. ketchup 4 T. olive oil 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 c. diced onion 1/2 t. red pepper flakes. Split the above between two gallon Ziploc bags and sprinkle with salt and pepper, remove as much air as possible, seal and freeze. When ready to place in crockpot, take out the soup mixture and add 1/2 c. water directly to the bag. Pour into crockpot and cook on low 3-4 hours or high 2-3 hours. Low is best and can be cooked longer than 4 hours if needed. About 30 minutes before done, take out a few T. liquid and add 2-3 t. cornstarch. Mix an

At the end of the day, dinner is the last thing you want to think about. Unfortunately, dinner is a necessary meal for growing children and hungry adults. A friend of mine gave this idea to our group of friends. She gathered her best crock pot recipes and tested them out. Each recipe makes 12 servings. She splits each recipe into two bags, squeezes out as much air as possible, and stores them sitting up (not flat). When ready to cook, add a half to a whole cup of hot water to help thaw, empty the Ziploc bag into crock pot and come home from work or at the end of the day to a dinner ready to eat! I find we always have leftovers so someone can take it with them to work the following day or there may be enough for another meal the next day. Buy canned goods at case lot sales which are going on now in some locations. Price match meat at Walmart. Once you buy your meat, keep it in the refrigerator for up to two days. It's best to put the meals together in a Ziploc bag within 24 hours. M